The second half of season 1 of the brand new Ms. Marvel series sees Kamala grow into her new role as Jersey City's superhero. She experiences new things professionally and personally - she wins some and she loses some on both fronts.
There's no denying that in Kamala, Marvel have found an appealing and relatable character. She maybe young, but her thoughts and experiences often feel universal. She's going through several changes, as are those around her, so it makes sense that we will understand and relate to her often.
This half of the season doesn't have as much action as before. There is a greater focus on Kamala's personal life, and it is written to the detriment of Ms. Marvel's arc. I was bothered that several panels suddenly revolved around her family and friends talkingabout her, instead of the panels being about her.
There's a heavier reliance on romance (considering this volume of the series starts with a Valentine's Day-set story, I should have seen that coming), which has never been my favourite subplot in art anyway.
I did find her first crush story line incredibly cute and was disappointed that the writers went down the familiar route of her crush being a baddie. They use it as an opportunity to put in some not-so-thinly veiled allegories as well; which was tonally wrong for the title, yet important to include all the same.
Throughout this part of the season, the writers seem hellbent on making some loud pronouncements. Bruno's brief but poignant speech about friend-zoning was particularly good - more popular media aimed at youngsters needs that.
I also like that in the end, despite Kamala confessing to Bruno that she reciprocates his feelings, she is too caught up in being a superhero to divide her attention to love. And of course Bruno accepts this and continues to be her sidekick and friend. The entire conversation read well and felt natural throughout.
Unfortunately, the last two stories of the season were a bit of a letdown. Zero action takes place, which is even more ridiculous considering Captain Marvel joins Kamala for one issue. I can't believe any other leading hero would be asked to just wait for the end to come. I wanted Kamala to be in the thick of it - getting things done, leading people, organising things. She needn't have been kicking butt, but that doesn't mean she couldn't be active. She seemed to be wallowing too much in the last two issues, and it felt very unlike Kamala. We're used to her being overly generous and ready to help.
I'm hoping the next season is a pacey, fun and action-packed one, full of more development of Kamala's abilities both as a hero and a leader. Who knows what the world will look like then, but as long as Kamala remains her fantastic, realistic and heroic self, it'll be worth the read.
Ms. Marvel Vol. 2 by G. Willow Wilson
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